100 years ago in Azuza Street and 100 years later- RAIN IS COMING

The Azuza Street Revival Ended 100 years ago this year.  The people were scattered and a great move of God spread over the whole earth.  It was in the death of that revival that life in God has filled millions with His Spirit.  It's about to happen again.  There are signs in the heavens.  Right now intense rain has begin to fall on Azuza.  In Los Angeles, but also on the small town of Azuza in California.  There is fear of washings away.  Landslides.

This may look like a normal end to a drought, a weather report, but there is more here than we know.

We have been in a drought of the word of God. The silence of any prophetic voices willing to speak up and speak out has resulted in an army of evil coming in and conquering the hearts and minds of our national psyche.  We have turned to other gods. Ten years ago, it would have been unthinkable for there to be the emergence of a homosexual culture in our military, the kind of abominations now taught in our schools, abortion becoming a near sacrament, homosexuals getting married and insisting that we must all comply in celebrating their aberrant unions, the acceptance of Islam in our culture, laws made and overturned to force people into sinful compromise, the rape of pornography and a hundred other things we would never have tolerated even ten years ago.  All this has weakened our nation and makes us more vulnerable than we have ever been.  The drought has exacted a huge price and it is due to the lack of a clarion call of prophets who could have stood against the evil. 

Yet the drought is coming to an end.  I see a change in the winds. The goodness of God is being poured out.   This cycle breaking is not only good news in the natural, it is a sign that the latter rain is once again being poured out. It was in Jerusalem in the Book of Acts, It has been again and again over the millennia  when awakenings happened.  It was at Azuza street 108 years ago.  But each of those surged and then ebbed.

God is a God of cycles and New Birth.  Seeds dying falling into the ground and then springing up new.  Droughts and new rain.  Early and latter rains.

We know the words of Joel 2.

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

There is this theme repeated in James

"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:7-8).

The consequence of falling away was drought in Deuteronomy 11:

If you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, ¹⁴ that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. ¹⁵ He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. ¹⁶ Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. ¹⁷ Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.

Once more the Lord has shown up in a Parosia event.  He has shown Himself mighty and faithful. His judgements are righteous and just and they are one way he manifests himself among us.

This is not about some impending day of the Lord.. we are all in the Day of the Lord, it's just that there are early rains and latter rains.  Seedtime and harvest.

Here's the good news... I can look to the skies and see... 

NEW LATTER RAIN HAS BEGUN TO FALL... 

I have a clear sense that in all the darkness... light is coming.

PROPHETIC MIDNIGHT WORD - Lance Wallnau

I respect Lance.  I think he is encouraging.  So in the spirit he brings, I offer his post and words:

I had a rough day. Rough days are good days 'cause they only come because I recently gave the devil a bad day.

So now I'm happy happy happy cause I get to write to you what the Lord told me.

Jesus said He is like a man "going to a far country, who left his house and GAVE AUTHORITY to his servants, and to EACH HIS work... (Mark 13:34)

It is YOUR work and no one else can do it. It's the devil’s business to stop you—if he can. He is good at his job- be equally good at yours.

Satan will seek to hinder you. The more dangerous your call, the higher the rank of demonic opposition. But you can exasperate him. You can embarrass the demon assigned to you.

AUTHORIZE ANGELS
Put your authority to work and you AUTHORIZE ANGELS. Lay your heartache before the Lord but don't stop there. Set your angels up for a good fight. Whats that? A fight they can win. (Give them something to talk about later when you meet them.) It's a fight of faith because it starts out as a fight over your faith…

ENDURE THE CONTRADICTION
The book of Hebrews says of Jesus, "He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself." Powerful. During the period of contradiction, Hell will assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending yourself, employ pious persons to repeat rumors about you, even hire editors and journalists to assail you.

When God's work seems slow, Hell will give a worldly offer, an open door. A fast-track to a better life.

You may have Pilate and Herod, Ananias and Caiaphas all combined against you, with Judas standing by jingling a better offer in his pocket. All he had to do, was agree with your enemies….and you have many.

And you wonder "Why are all these things happening?"

Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the cunning of the devil? Don't you see it's a trap designed to draw you off from your work? A snare to discourage your confidence?

CLICK YOUR HEELS, DOROTHY!
USE THE AUTHORITY given to you to get things done. Stop looking for miracle money and unrealistic big breaks and the next prophetic word, dream or conference. Don't look for the "sure" thing. Seek wisdom.

Stop wasting time, caught up in chasing other people's rabbits. Get away from "empty talkers" and find the "doers."

Do YOUR work. Cultivate YOUR garden. Work YOUR field. See to it that the devil does not distract you from fulfilling the work God has given you.

WISDOM IS PROFITABLE
God didn't call you to sweat over making money, either. That's the wrong part of your field to always focus on. Heaven called you to something higher than that in your business. Think of Abraham. Sharpen your sword. Wisdom is a spirit as well as a gift, did you know that?

Put Wisdom to work and this spirit will go forth and get you the wisdom you lack! Wisdom attracts wisdom. When wisdom shows up "Wisdom is PROFITABLE to direct." Wisdom generates profits.

******** (AND that's why I am kicking off a WISDOM mastermind in my home in two weeks! Find out about it: ask me at Lance@Lancelearning.com) ********

YOU MAY BE
assaulted,
insulted,
slandered,
wounded,
and rejected.
You may be chased by foes, abused by strangers, forsaken by friends, rejected of men…

But it will all work to your advantage if you make it your life mission to say; “I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TO DO."

Why? It's like the old success author once said: "EVERY ADVERSITY CARRIES WITHIN IT THE BENEFIT OF AN EQUIVALENT OR GREATER BENEFIT OF SUCCESS!" That's a powerful statement. You can convert the currency of any attack into an equal currency of promotion. How? Make it deepen your "life message." Even your sins and failures can work to your advantage when they produce wisdom and pathos. (That is especially maddening to the devil)

ENDURE and YOU'LL ACQUIRE THE TOP SEVEN QUALITIES OF A WORLD CLASS COMMUNICATOR!
That's right. I don't have space here but...Handle the contradiction correctly and your battle will make you
- an Oracle!

You are no plastic Christian with a pasted-on smile and disingenuous handshake or hug. You carry a supernatural voltage and it 'humms.' You open your mouth and you've got the top 7 qualities of an oracle.

Here are the TOP 7 Qualities of masters of communication!
* PRESENCE
* Confident
* Passionate
* Enthusiastic
* Captivating
* Authentic
* Comfortable

Thank you guys for being my friends. Somehow my worst day is never so bad because of you. I encourage you and it strengthens me.

Grace and Peace

P.S. (I'm serious about this upcoming "business mastermind" in my home in two weeks! Only have room for 10. Let me know if you're interested. Lance@Lancelearning.com)

- Lance

The Insanity of Human Reason

Father says "Come let us Reason together".   Now, here's a question, if this is going to be a reasoning session, who is going to change their mind? 

God is immutable.  That means he isn't going to change.  As I said in an earlier post... anything less than the fullness of the mind of Christ is partial insanity.

Human reason therefore in and of itself cannot be the fullness of the mind of Christ.

Therefore... human reason will inevitably have as its functional level,  partial insanity.

Don't be offended.. but the further from Christ you are, the more insane you become. 

God's perfect best for us is for us to be fully in our right mind.

Kent Simpson: There is a Purging Coming: Why You Should Embrace the Roaring Rapids In His River of Love

The little book I have just released lines up perfectly with this word from another prophet.  Embrace the purging to come... it's victory in the making.

This Is Your Time of Love

Many of us have become very comfortable soaking in prayer along the river's banks. However, I believe a few can hear in the distance an alarming roar within this spiritual river. Even God's generals who have been wading in the full depth of God's anointed river sense that something is about to change. This celestial current is beginning to pull everyone in; even those who have been standing around its banks waiting for something to happen now feel its enticing force pulling them in.
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

The comfort zone for all of God's people is rapidly narrowing as every ounce of their love for God is coming under a great test. Many have already been stripped of their nest egg, and their prideful life has been thrashed. These are the very vessels of God who will find themselves in the forefront, for they have already passed a big test. They sold out their souls, giving it all to Christ, and committed to serve Him to their death and beyond.

"When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord God. Ezekiel 16:8

His Prophetic Word and Message:

The Great Purge of Love Prepares You For What's Ahead

"There is a purging coming, and if you are standing in the river, be prepared. For as it comes flowing from Heaven to earth, it will be a torrential raining of the Lord that will turn into a monsoon, bringing forth a mighty rushing river of Jesus' love. This will stir your still brooks and cause your river to turn upside down, sending you through a rage of rapids, bruising and pruning you, preparing you for what is yet ahead.

"Even though you feel you have taken a great fall as you come over the edge, the water shall take you down so that you may see what is below. You will eventually find yourself surfacing to the top again to tell others what you have seen and where you have been. They will know that you have stood in a difficult place, for the purging of the Holy Spirit will have prepared you as one whom He will use to shake Heaven and earth.

"Everything that is not of God shall surely fall, but for all that is of the Lord shall deservedly stand, for it will be built upon the rocks where the water falls. You will find that our Lord is going to use you mightily, but you must first come through the rapids. They are a place of cleansing, a place with radical and mysterious ways of stripping the flesh, removing every ounce of self far from you. All that will be left is I who dwells within you," saith the Lord.

"When the unbeliever sees you – they will have seen Me; causing their demons to manifest. Their words of hate will make your skin thick as the hide of a rhinoceros, but your heart shall remain gentle as a dove. For you will continually love them no matter what they do to you. For even if they were to split your back open with a cat of nine tails, you will continue to sing praises to Me, asking that I forgive them, proclaiming they know not what they do.

"You will soon see things are about to change. You have asked for the gifts and the power, and you shall have them – although, not until first you have gone through the mighty cleansing waters that will take you over the edge, lowering you to the abyss, and bring you back up again.

"From this cup you shall drink, and from this cup you shall receive that which I give unto you. But you must first go through this process before you will ever receive the promise. My promise unto the people is this: 

Once you have the power, I will trust you with what you have to do for those who come against you. Those who have stalked My people and were viciously driven to harm My people will be touched with My love through your hands. There shall be others like you that will call down this consuming fire from Heaven. This fire is not a fire of destruction but rather overwhelming warmth of My love, releasing an incense of hope. You shall take charge and loose its saving grace upon all who are not of Me, sparking a fire that will take over the earth.

"There are many who are false in the lands that come as disbelievers, warriors of satan, fueled with his hate, but they will not touch you. For you will know that God our Father has given unto you a great and mighty eye to see around the corner of tomorrow, knowing what is being planned. As they hide in their secret chambers, standing in awe before the prince of darkness, they will make their plans. However, the transcending, ministering Spirit sent from Heaven will take you into their den of deceit to bear witness to all they plan. Then you will know what to tell My people so they can thwart the enemies' plans, so be it. Amen!"

Is This Prophetic Word Biblical?

I am providing you with a thread of verses from the Holy Bible that give balance and consistency for this prophetic word.

"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits." Hebrews 6:1-3

"They said to Him, 'We are able.' So Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;'" Mark 10:39

"John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.'" Luke 3:16-17

"...who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness..." Malachi 3:2-3

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:25-27

"You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons." 1 Corinthians 10:21

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Kent Simpson, Prophetic Pastor
Prophetic Ministries Today
Email: PMT@propheticministries.org

Signs You May Have A Gift Of Prophecy -- Helen Calder

What Are Some Signs That You Have A Prophetic Gift?

Posted by Helen Calder  

A prophecy is a message from God, brought through a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-18) The spiritual gift of prophecy is a special ability given to some Spirit-filled Christians to receive and share a message from God that will bring people closer to Jesus and help move them towards His future purpose for them. Prophecy is one of the gifts God uses to help build and grow the church (1 Cor 14:4).

So—if you believe that you may have a prophetic gift, but are not sure, what are some signs that will help you identify it and move forward? You may not identify with all of the following points, but if you do have a prophetic gift, you will recognise many of them in your life:

1. Desire to Help People Through Prophecy (1 Cor 14:3)

• You have a desire for God to use you to bring a message from Him that will encourage your leaders or church
• If a person is in trouble, needs guidance, or to connect with God, you find yourself wanting to pass on an encouraging message from God

2. You Pray in a Prophetic Way

• After praying for people, they comment that you ‘prayed the right thing,’ or they ask, ‘How did you know that?’
• When praying for a person, group, geographical area, or for your church, you sense that the Holy Spirit is directing your prayers about God’s purpose for the situation.
• You seem to know what Bible verses apply to a situation that you are praying for; symbolic pictures or words may come to mind when you pray.

2. Attraction To Prophetic Ministry (1 Cor 14:1)

• You have a keen interest in prophetic ministry
• You are attracted to prayer meetings or any meetings where prophetic gifts are being used and find yourself drawn to prophetic people.
• You may feel that you have a call from God to prophetic ministry but sometimes experience doubts.

3. Motivation to Learn How to Prophesy (2 Tim 1:6)

• You are motivated to learn about how to use the prophetic gift or further your understanding of personal prophecy.
• You may already be actively seeking out teaching or training through reading books, attending training sessions or learning from people who are experienced in prophecy
• You are reading this blog!

4. Other Signs… That may Indicate you Have a Prophetic Gift

• You may get discouraged when things you believe God has promised don’t come to pass as quickly as you would like
• You may have an affinity with symbolic pictures, stories or actions
• You may have had unusual or supernatural experiences that point you to having a prophetic gift—however note this is not a prerequisite
• You may have a keen sense of justice—however, remember that human personality is not an indicator of whether a person has a prophetic gift from the Holy Spirit.

If you do recognise any of the above signs and would like to grow in your prophetic gift, here are some ideas to help you:

• Find a healthy Christian church where prophetic ministry is encouraged, and where you can grow in your gifts
• Focus on developing your general Bible knowledge; resist the temptation to take verses or Bible stories out of context
• Learn the principles of hearing God’s voice and how to filter out what is not of God
• Practice hearing messages from God to yourself and others in your own times of prayer. Use a journal to keep track of and check what you believe God is saying to you.
• Ask for feedback when you bring a prophetic message and be open to both encouragement and correction
• Choose your mentors carefully. Looks for people who are enthusiastic and supportive members of a church where they are accountable to church leadership
• Find good sources of training and teaching to help you grow in understanding and using the gift of prophecy

It's not all about you - mostly

I have struggled with the personal prophecy ministry machine.  I like giving a word to someone.  I enjoy getting one.  I live on them.  YET.. not all prophecy is personal.

Look at the words to the Churches in Revelation.  Look at the words to the nations in Isaiah and Ezekiel.  Look at the words to Israel in Jeremiah.  And many of the prophetic utterances.  Even Jesus prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem didn't make it personal.

Some prophetic words are, but few.

So when you hear some warning or some great promise in prophetic utterance.. sometimes its for the whole and you taking a bit misses the point.

That's just a prophet speaking however.

Insanity is the Normal Human Condition... except for ONE

The Bible teaches us clearly that we are supposed to have the mind of Christ.  When we fully are possessed of the Mind of Christ we are truly of a right mind.  Anything less than that is partial insanity.  How we see one another must be with the mind of Christ.  How we see ourselves must be with the mind of Christ.  How we see our situation in the world we must see it with the mind of Christ.

For an unbeliever, an athiest, they can be the most rational person in the world, balanced, careful, yet have a blind spot that causes partial insanity. 

Here is a complete Definition of Insanity from Merriam-Webster

1

:  a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder (as schizophrenia)

2

:  such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or as removes one from criminal or civil responsibility

3

a :  extreme folly or unreasonableness

b :  something utterly foolish or unreasonable

With the mind of Christ of you will be less like the definition and more like Jesus... who was the only sane person who ever walked the earth.  Yes that's right.... if you are a Christian, sinning is temporary insanity.  


Here is what the word of God says about the mind of Christ... and how important it is to be in our right mind. The mind of Christ:

1 Corinthians 2:16 - For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We have no way to offer any direction to others unless we have the mind of Christ.  

 Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Conforming to the world is insanity.  Finding the mind of Christ will transform you. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned

The natural man suffers from insanity.... he can't receive what would be sound direction, even from the Spirit of God.   He has a blank spot in his spirit.

 Philippians 2:5 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Paul is instructing the Philippians to find and culture the mind of Christ.  

Paul give evidences of what is a demonstration of the insanity of not being in possession of the mind of Christ...

  Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

When a person is like this, it is temporary insanity.  IF they live like this they are truly insane compared to the wholeness of the Mind of Christ.

When a person is in full possession of all his or her faculties as the mind of Christ it will look like this:

Galatians 5:24 The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

We are the ones who are instructed to do this.

1 Peter 1:13 - Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;


It's time to sober up... and get out of the asylum.

Men are abandoning the Local Church... WHY?

Why Prominent Christian Men are Abandoning the Local Church 

It is controversial, particularly if you will read the links in the article.  I identified with this.  Particularly the part about no longer singing.

Let me as perhaps one of these offer my view on this difficult thesis.  I am guilty of not wanting to go often.  I routinely attend two different churches on a regular basis. 

One is a traditional mainline church.  Not challenging spiritually.  Not much fresh manna.  A real dearth of spiritual hunger among the people. Worship services reflect this climate.  Not much to build on there for finding like mindedness in relationships.  While many of the men are good guys, but few are are other than wage earners.  Few free enterprise business and economic warriors.  The ones who are such I have a decent relationship with. While we can fellowship about the difficulty in finding good people, government regulations, the economic environment, taxes and such, what is missing is how Father impacts all this.  I am blessed to have met a few and that is reason to go back.   I am hungry for transparent peer fellowship. 

The other Church is Crusaders.  I am a minority there.  Yet the tug for me is unbridled passionate true worship (not singing songs).  Only a south side Chicago church can enter into this as Crusaders does.  It's not SINGING. It's worship.  There is a difference.  Anyone can sing a song.  Few can truly worship.  In that I find Peerage is spiritual quest. 

Hunger.  These precious souls are really hungry for more of God.  Their lives depend on HIM.  Then there are the challenging relationships.  It took a little time, but many of these men and women know dimensions in God I am just now exploring.  I value the friendships I have developed.  The Senior Leader, Apostle Eckhardt, garners respect and admiration by those who are there that is hard to ignore. I have only known a few men of his ilk.   It's hard to get out of the building at the end of the service without stumbling over manifestations of the Presence of God.  People talking not about the weather, not about sports, but about the things of God: praying or prophesying over one another.  In a rich way.  It used to be like this in Fargo and at Calvary. So refreshing. So rich.  Sharing life in God.

There are few self directed folks there in business for themselves, but some are, those who are hungry to find a way out of lack by getting out on their own.  Those are my peers.  I know what it takes to dig my way out of a hole thru faith in God and His prophetic word.  Not with a job, with the gifts God gave me.  When I am look for peers to be in Godly relationship with, that would be those who are hungry and thirsty for MORE....  More Lord More.  More Revelation.  More Peace. More Shalom.  More wisdom.  More grace. More windows of opportunity in every way opened.  More of the abundant life and HIS Kingdom on THIS side of the veil.  I don't want to die to get this.

I am convinced that MEN will come in droves if they grasp what this can and does mean..  They are looking for more... We are hardwired for more.  Building.  Forming.  Creating. Expanding the Kingdom.  It's part of a Man's genetics.  Like Caleb in our hearts we are saying,  "Give me that Mountain" ... don't make me stay in "Kumbaya" valley with the ladies.  Let's go out and slay some dragons.  Now you got me.  We were created to make conquest. 

I don't need another club to belong to.  I need to get a sense of God's Glory here and now.   I hope you can grasp this.  I don't go to church just to go.  I go to find fellow warriors.  Peers in the battle that I can lock shields with.  Men of like passion.  I would rather spend a day with a hungry homeless man who knows God and wants to get out of his situation than an hour with a man who works at a grocery store, is content with less, who's passion for Jesus is thimble sized, who can barely rehearse 5 stories from the Bible with any understanding and whose goal in life is to watch a Cubs game.  Sorry, not a peer. 

Here's the truth.  This isn't about discipleship. If a man wants to be discipled, he will find a master.  He will learn from him.  He will pay the price to be in the place of discipling.  Hunger is the driving force.  IF you have to try to force feed a disciple, you don't have a candidate.. you have a victim.

Many accomplished successful and yes wealthy men are in the CHURCH (Capital C) but never attend church.  Why? They didn't become accomplished, successful and yes wealthy by sitting quietly in a chair, standing, sitting, clapping along, listening to a lecture and paying a tithe then after 59 minutes adjourn to the coffee klatch to talk about banality.  Accomplished successful and yes wealthy men want to know what weapons you have, where are they, who is the captain, where is the battlefront and when do we attack.  That's how they became accomplished, successful and yes wealthy.  Now, do you want them in your church or not?  If one shows up, what are you going to do with him?  Or will you let him drift off and stay home or in a small group where he is challenged to do more?  This truly is the challenge of the hour.  I don't think the church (small c) knows how to do this.  I do, for I am one of these and would have much to give... if I could.  Yet because the church caters to those content to stay in the valley... it starves to death.  The ones who have what it takes to make the difference just aren't showing up and certainly never see that collection plate when it goes by.  The answer is all around you.  I live in a wealthy community. I have often said we must figure out how to reach the up and outers.  They have a spiritual need, but we as a church have no clue how to find ways to help them fill it....so they stay away in droves.

Doug Addison: Clarity is Coming! Some New Radical Positive Events Will Start Happening in March

Expect Things to Clear Up
If things don't seem all that clear right now, don't worry. February's uncertain times will become clearer towards the end of the month. Clarity is coming and some new radical positive events will start happening in March. Expect to see the clouds lift by the end of the month while God pours out encouragement in March through April.

Attacks of 2013 Become Authority

What were your struggles and how did the enemy attack you in 2013? Your attack in 2013 is the area of your new authority this year. In many cases, the enemy overplayed his hand against you and 2013 was about trying to get you to quit.
For those who stuck with it, God is giving new levels of authority and anointing. But there is a key to this new promotion this year: we must get rid of accusations against others. God is releasing new anointing and authority to those who are humble and able to love others.
A key verse for this time is Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
God spoke to me that if you have anything against someone else, it is time to put it behind you. Especially if you are holding evidence saved to prove you are right. Let it go. It's time to trust God to fight your battles and let go of any grievances because they will disqualify you from promotions this year.

New Ideas and Inventions

I had a prophetic dream this month that God is releasing from Heaven new strategies, ideas and inventions right now. I was standing next to an angel and suddenly a high-tech umbrella appeared in my hand that not only shielded me from the elements but also had a mist of refreshment falling down on the inside. The dream means that God's angels will shield us while bringing a creative, inventive spirit. When we are protected by God, new divine strategies and inventions create Kingdom finances even through tough times.
I also had several dreams of violent weather. God is saying do not worry about how things look but trust that God will open up opportunities to be blessed in any situation.
God gave Isaac a strategy to reap a hundred times during a terrible famine.
"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him." Genesis 26:12
In every downturn there's always a way to reap. Ask God for eyes to see what you can do right now in your situation.

Super Bowl Score

Even though the Super Bowl was not that super this year, unless you are a Seattle Seahawks fan, the final score was intriguing to me. I felt it was significant and knew that again, like last year, it was not intended to say that God is judging.
Taking a look at the final score, Seahawks 43 to Broncos 8, God led me to some powerful verses packed in Isaiah 43 which many of us know. Here God brings comfort during rough times, forming us into people of godly character, able to lead others by following Holy Spirit into new things (Isaiah 43:1-2, 5-8 and 18-19).
Check out the verse corresponding to the final score, 43-8 to Isaiah 43:8: "Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf." Isaiah 43:8 NIV
God is opening people's eyes and ears. People who have no idea about the power of His Spirit will be led by those called by God's name. Like the power of God's Spirit, who helped deaf Seahawks fullback, Derrick Coleman, who "stuck with it" and despite his disability, gained much new authority.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
God's challenge in the game of life is to take comfort during character-forming times. Your heart's re-shaping helps you and others show God's awesome goodness. Read through the entire chapter of Isaiah 43 because it is packed full of promises from God to pray into your life.

Get Rid of Judgment

When God does something new, quite often the previous movement is judgmental towards it. This is repeated throughout Church history. God is doing something new right now to draw in people who have been rejected by Christianity. I have been encouraging people everywhere to embrace anyone who needs God and not judge them.
Before we can help others, we must ask God to look at our own hearts and see if there is any judgment against others.
I've been praying a prayer for a while, "God, show me what the enemy does not want me to see about myself." And also, "God, reveal to me anything I might have in my heart towards others." As we get rid of judgment, we are better able to embrace people who are different than us.
Let's pray together that God would help us be more persistent so we can "stay in it." And we would have judgment-free eyes to see clearly and find new ways to hear how to use our new authority to touch many.
Blessings,

Doug Addison
InLight Connection
Email: respond@dougaddison.com

Repentance is nessasary but not continual... by Andrew Thurner

I saw this excellent writing from Andrew, a man I respect.  I hope you grasp what he is saying:
 

The new creation is free of the past, up to and including the present. More something I read proposed a life of continual, ongoing repentance. Curiously absent was any Scriptural support. In fact, it's wording carried the tone of "imposition" upon every believer, to continually grovel before God. And set for this earning of favor program was the designation of "lifetime."   Groveling earns. Reverence respects. How could we possibly earn grace? Short answer: We can't. But we can receive the free gift. And reverence with tears, acknowledging the cost Jesus paid in full for us. But reverence isn't about works, or earning the free gift of grace. The price is already paid.

Sounded more like a lifetime sentence to me.

 I can't help but picture the scene from Monty Python and The Holy Grail" .... Quote (God to Arthur in the film): " Oh stop groveling, one thing I can't stand is people groveling"... Every time I try to talk to someone it's sorry this, and forgive me that, and I'm not worthy...."
 
God's Word says nothing like this and sets no requirement like this. We are to "Walk in the Spirit," "Set [our] minds on things above, not on earthly things," thus set our focus on Jesus' substitutionary resolve for us. Thankfully, due to the Passion (Jesus' passion for us), we are not under the spell of sin's sway any longer ... our co-death in Christ means that every aspect of the curse is broken on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). In Christ, we also died to the Law, which gave power to our (PAST) sinful nature. Because of the cross, the Law is no longer in play ... abolished! (Romans 7:4-6) Isn't this good news!?! Our lifetime sentence is one of being eternally enraptured with God's favor and love.

The Depressed State of the Church by Michael Cook

" I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8 (NIV).

Folks, I just read about a report that makes me shake my head and to hang my head in shame. Here's the portion of this article that I want to share with you and then I would like to ask, what is our responsibility in this?

"If you read too many statistics on the American church, chances are good you’ll come out pretty depressed about the state we’re in.

Of the 90 percent of Americans who call themselves believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a much smaller amount would say they actually believe these things:

Absolute moral truth exists.
The Bible is completely accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
Satan is a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
A person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works.
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
Of the 90 percent, how many do you think believe these things?

Sixty percent?

Forty percent?

The answer is 9 percent, according to research done by The Barna Group on all sampled age groups of Americans in 2008. The number goes to less than 1 percent among Americans in the 18-23 age group." Matt Carter. (Matt Carter serves as the Pastor of Preaching and Vision of The Austin Stone Community Church).

We have more Bible coming at us today from more directions than at any time in the history of the world, and yet at least in this country we have more people who claim Christianity but do not believe the Bible or believe only what they want to believe.

Is there any wonder that our nations' moral standards are rapidly declining? We don't believe God! We don't believe His word. We are not experiencing His presence in our churches. We substitute good feelings and happy music and pop psychology for the Power of the Holy Spirit and true conviction. We have an "I'm okay, You're okay" religion. Don't talk about sin. That's over. Don't talk about obedience because hey we're all sinners anyway and there's nothing we can do about it. We choose the Constitution over the Word of God. We look to politicians instead of looking to Jesus Christ for our guidance. Or we go along with the culture instead of the Bible.

We quote Bible verses to each other but then we go off and do whatever it is we want to do? People of God hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us!
"It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore." Isaiah 59:2.

I know that there are some who will read this and then turn to me and tell me, "But Michael, Jesus Christ came and took away our sins! We don't have to deal with that anymore!" To which I will say, "Yes, Jesus Christ did come to take away our sins! So if that is true then why are we still holding onto them? Why are we still wallowing in them? Why are we asking God to accept us even while we are still clothed in our fleshly garments?" Listen to His indictment on us, "For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.…" Isaiah 59:2, "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!" Isaiah 1:15. We are walking in spiritual darkness. We are offering up strange fire to the Lord. And God is saying repent, turn from our wickedness. Stop! Listen to the Holy Spirit. He is come to bring us to a place of repentance; a place of turning to God and crying out for mercy and forgiveness. What we need is God's Holy Spirit.

Listen to Jesus! This is what He says the Spirit will do for us! "When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:" John 16:8. He is not coming to make us feel "happy"! He is not coming to make us "rich!" No, He is come to prove us wrong about sin, to prove us wrong about righteousness and to prove that we are wrong about judgment! "concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;" (John 16:9). Remember Jesus said that we are His disciples ONLY if we keep His commands. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;" (John 8:31).

I truly believe and am becoming more and more convinced that we are the Church of Laodicea. We are neither hot nor cold. And because we are not hot or cold we are in the gravest of danger.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent."

Listen to the Spirit of God! Not to me! I want nothing from any one! God supplies all I want and all I need. I am not trying to make you like me or to make you angry or sad. I am trying to warn us! Yes US. We are in the gravest of danger if we do not soon repent and turn to the Lord with all our hearts, for real! Hear what the Spirit of God is saying. If you have ears to hear and if you have eyes to see. We are in grave danger. I know you feel it in the air. You see it in the sky!

You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

IS it BIBLICAL to be a Member of a Church?

I am a member of the human race.  How do I know?  I stood in front of a mirror and saw it was so.  Not elephant, not monkey, not dolphin,  Nope, human. variety male.

I am a member of the United States of America. Never signed in, just born here.  Have used that membership to vote, travel with a passport, accumulate social security and align myself with fellow Americans. 

I am a member of the Tea Party branch of the Republican Party.  I never took a test, signed a document, went to school for it, I just realized one day that the tribe I belong to politically looks like me .. and therefore without fanfare I was.  A member.  I will so remain until and unless the folks I consider members in like standing go off into something with which I cannot abide.  So, in that way my membership is not unconditional.  It is voluntary and active by my participation. 

I am a member of the global Body of Christ.  My membership came because I was born again.  My spirit which was dead came to life.  I are alive in Christ.  I didn't train for this.  I didn't take a class.  I came as the Spirit of God called and when He touched me I have never been the same since.  Am I a faithful member, a good member, a loyal member?  I do what I know to do and be what I am called to be.  I read the Book I know many other members read and believe what it says.  I talk to the author a lot.  He talks to me.  I am not exactly like every other member on the earth.. but I know as my spirit witnesses to their spirits that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  I don't carry a card, wear a name tag or go thru ceremony.  I am simply accepted in the beloved because I am HIS beloved.  It's a wonderful place to be.  It's a kingdom and I am part.

All those memberships matter to me.  They identify me yet allow me to be who I am.  There are memberships I carry that are far less important.  I am a member of AAA, AARP (My wife signed me up), CVS discount card, used to be a Blockbuster member, believe it or not once was a member of a gym, Amazon prime and one restaurant that gives me a fee meal every tenth.  Member. 

I have a few affiliation memberships.  I am a member of Impact because the people part of that network have the same passion towards the Kingdom I do.  They share aligned beliefs.  It is without stricture.  Yet I am confident the leadership embraces things I know to be true.  What is more important to me is I am encouraged to ask very hard questions and even disagree and not be ostracized.  I was not required to sign in nor sign on to anything which restricted free inquiry.  I didn't need to hang my brain and the voice of God at the front door to have someone tell me what I should abide.  There was not a "What we believe" pledge.. just we do.  I shall remain unless or until somehow humanity invalidates this and I cannot abide.  It happens all the time.

This brings me to the paradox of membership in a church.  One that I have been.  One that is unlike and therefore to be questioned more than most.  I have in my life been a member of 5 churches.   Two Lutheran.  Two Assembly of God.  And ordained as a Member of a National Pentecostal Denomination.  Four of those five memberships carried with them certain "Requirements".  Not organic, imposed.  Typically,   Do you espouse all the teachings of our denomination, will you be faithful to keep a pew warm Sundays, will you make sure your tithe ends up in our coffers, will you put your picture in our directory, submit to our leadership and will you volunteer to do all the stuff that needs to be done?  Say yes and you are in like Flynn.  

Only one time was my church membership truly Organic and might I say HOLY.  Pastor Dan.  First Assembly.  No class.  No ceremony.  No questionnaire.  Just I said I would like to a member.  He didn't ask if I bought the whole program, if I would tithe, show up or work. I was already doing all that. I was actively a member without formality.  At an elder's meeting they brought my name up, no one had any serious doubts about me and boom;  I was accepted in the fellowship.  Sounds like the church in Jerusalem.  Someone was Barnabas for me.  And what I already was became formalized.  The only change was that from that day forward I could vote on financial things if they came up (which they seldom did).  In today's apostolic structures that is even less of an issue.

Long and short, I do not believe that church membership as it is routinely executed in most of the American Church has biblical or spiritual legitimacy. Membership should be akin to ordination.  IF you are already participating at a high level in the ministry of the fellowship in which you are involved, if you are already doing all the things "Members" are asked to pledged to do in these formalities then church leadership will recognize and confirm your membership.  Just as those who are ordained are.    God does the gifting, ordination is the recognition.  We have this really backwards in our churches and need to rethink this.  The biblical model, if we were going to really follow it, would be that there is only ONE church per city.  Now that will upset a few apple carts.  Not my idea... Watchman Nee.

But that's just Prophet Gene or is it?

I told Apostle John Eckhardt I would memorialize this on the 3rd anniversary of this event. This changed my life and perhaps might change yours.

It was a Tuesday night. February 15, 2011. I was in a service at Crusaders Church. John Eckhardt was ministering with another man. I don't recall who. The prophetic flow was strong. It was one of those nights when sitting quietly taking in the atmosphere was the right thing to do.

I had just come thru a very serious blow in my finances. I have been thru a few of these but this one was big. Life Changing.

Sitting in the place where I most often sit I was feeling low, depressed. Suddenly I heard the Lord. Now to be clear, I did not hear an audible voice. I seldom do. I did hear that voice that is internal, but clearly not my own. He said to me, "You don't trust me do you". I argued with the Lord, "Of course I do, I'm your prophet, you called me, I trust you". He smiled (well you know, not in direct response but to let me know He wasn't buying it). "If you really trusted me you wouldn't be here depressed, in fear and in deep concern about the future". Of course He was right.

Then He said something to me that changed my life. "If you will trust me, I will show you how I will not only provide for you, but prosper you in ways you can't yet imagine". Then he had me write down a list of ways He would do this. It was a long list and the net result was well into six figures. I found it hard to believe but when the Lord speaks like this, I want to believe.

Then Apostle did something that he does every service. He blessed us as we left. I can't describe the words he used, but he blessed us with Peace, Shalom, Grace and Prosperity. I found myself supernaturally entering into that blessing. I believed what Apostle was saying. I knew it was the blessing of God on me.

In the next few years and to this day life has never been the same. God has done all He said He would do and more. To the dime he provided exactly what he said he would in 2011. Since then I have found myself entering in to the blessing of the Apostle. I know it sounds superstitious, but I have come to realize that there is something that happens when an Apostle proclaims blessings over the people. Not cursing them for not giving. Not condemning them for being stingy. Just releasing the blessing.

In fact I am convinced a portal of blessing, if you will a window of heaven, opens up and people can enter into and under that.

It's not superstition. It's knowing that something unique is going on and entering in.

I am thankful to God for his supernatural provision and protection in my life. I am thankful to Apostle for his obedience in opening the portal and when I look at the last few years since that time, I have never seen this in my entire life. It's scary sometimes. Some deals are bigger than I can think or imagine... But that's what the scripture says... more than.

We need to enter into the portal of blessing when it comes and if you are a senior leader, open the flood gates. They are there at your word. Allow the spirit of God to move. You don't need people to give, you need people to prosper more than they can ask or think.. the rest will follow.

Bob Jones RIP

This morning Bob Jones stepped from time into eternity.  IF you know who he was here on earth, then this will mean something to you.  IF not... never mind.

One thing is Bob was a flawed man, one with lots of things that could be critisized, yet God used him greatly. If GOD can use Bob Jones, he can use ME and YOU.

God is no respecter of persons.

Below is the last Prophetic Thing he and Bonnie published.. in light of his passing today, valentines day.. it's good to consider:

THE COMING PROMISE

January 2014

Vision of the Apple Tree

While in a time of praise, Bob saw an apple tree in full bloom. As he prayed for understanding the Lord revealed to him that many people have been in the bud. They have been waiting on promises that go back many, many years. Now the Lord is saying that before the apple tree blooms this spring, their buds shall bloom. Although some of them are ancient promises they will bloom in the spring before the apple tree does and they will begin producing the fruit of righteousness.

 

 

Peacemakers Bloom

In the fruit of the spirit prophecy, the apple represents peace. Therefore, this means that a lot of peacemakers shall bloom or come into their divine calling by this spring and they will bring forth the fruit that God has called them to bear. So get ready for the peacemakers to come forth with the fruit of God and reveal the Son of Peace to the world.

The peacemakers that are coming forth in this next season are those who can make peace between the human soul and the Father. As they reveal the Father's love to the human soul, it will bring stability to the body in every way. Through the administration of these peacemakers, first and foremost, they will bring man's soul into the place where it can enter into the peace of God. And this peace is beyond all human understanding. They will also enter into the love of God, which will create the fruit that He wants produced in the body now. This is literally the beginning of the fruit that's needed for harvest.

And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)

Peace beyond understanding is what God is offering us. Unfortunately much of the body has seen the Father from a wrong perspective. They see Him as the cruel master and judge instead of being the God of love and justice. Ninety-five percent of the body of Christ thinks the Father is the judge that is squashing them all the time. They accuse the Father of bringing calamity and traumatic situations where in fact it is Satan. The Father simply removes His hand where He is no longer welcome. But now we will begin to see Him as He really is; LOVE and love beyond any expectation of love. When we have peace with the Father then the bloom will begin to turn into fruit. And this fruit will begin to come forth this year yielding more next year and even more the following year.

Armory of God's LOVE

The Lord has opened His armory,And has brought out the weapons of His indignation;For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans. (Jer 50:25)

God is arming the body of Christ with weapons of His divine love that the enemy has no defense against. We'll begin to see the army of God come together in unity, a common union, to where the enemy will have to leave entire cities. This army is getting ready to take entire cities and eventually entire states. In certain places in the world, they'll take entire nations.

This is the year the army of God comes together with angels beyond number and weapons that cannot be defeated by the enemy. Angels are here now preparing the body for the harvest and there will be a mighty victory. This year, even the blooming of the trees is something that Satan can't stop from happening.

Vision of God's Armory

In a vision Bob was shown the armory of God that is now open and the Father is releasing weapons of warfare that has never been available to man before. In this vision there were weapons put into my hands that terrorized me to even touch them. There's nothing in the entire world that can withstand what the Father is bringing out of His armory. Some of the first things He will deal with are in Jeremiah 51. In fact the first thing He'll deal with is the church that's been withstanding Him.

Jeremiah 51:20-25 You [Cyrus of Persia, soon to conquer Babylon] are My battle-ax or maul and weapon of war--for with you I break nations in pieces, with you I destroy kingdoms,

21 With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider, with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer,

22 With you I break in pieces man and woman, with you I break in pieces old man and youth, with you I break in pieces young man and maiden,

23 With you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock, with you I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen, and with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.

24 And I will [completely] repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil that they have done in Zion--before your very eyes [I will do it], says the Lord.

25 Behold, I am against you, says the Lord, O destroying mountain [which is burning out, you who will be as barren and desolate as an extinct volcano], you who [would] destroy the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand over and against you and roll you down from the [burnt] crags and will make you a burnt-out mountain [of combustive fires]. (Jer. 50:20-25)

 

 

Ministry of the Peacemakers

What He's doing right now in the church is uniting whosoever will with one another. Because these weapons that's being released cannot be handled by one person. It will take teams to handle them and usually teams consist of about twelve people. These teams will be united with one purpose in mind and when they go to war they will make decrees and declarations according to the heart of the Father. These decrees will be established according to the will of the Father. (Job 22:28)

You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways.

This is what I see; the blooming of the apple tree will be our blooming in the spirit and worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth. It's our human soul making peace by the knowledge of the Truth. It's bringing the soul in submission to the spirit and allowing the spirit man to be in control of our conscience (actions, deeds and thoughts). Then the body will understand the Father's divine nature; love. He loves you! Scripture plainly shows that God loves us; it's His nature because He is LOVE. (1 John 4:8) The peacemakers' entire nature will be characterized by His love and love will be the fruit they bear.

Now come the peacemakers and they make peace with God and with man. They show the Father's nature, LOVE! The love of the Father is all authority to His sons and daughters. I don't know how fast the fruit is going to mature after they bloom. But I do know that by the middle of May the blooms will be over and the fruit will begin. And from what I see, this fall will be awesome.

Jeffrey Stewart - The Power of Jesus Command to us... YOU DO IT

Did you ever notice that Jesus never commanded the water to turn to wine during the Wedding Feast at Cana? Did you ever notice that Jesus never commanded the food to be multiplied when He fed the five thousand? Did you ever notice that when Jesus healed the ten lepers (where one came back to thank Him), He did not command them to be healed? That He never commanded the fish to gather next to Peter's boat but only asked Peter to cast his net on the other side?

There is another level of faith that people can operate at. Since I've never seen this written about, a good name for it would be lifestyle faith. It is above praying for God to do something, and it is even above commanding something to occur in Jesus' Name. It is simply believing that what you are wanting to happen has ALREADY happened and then acting on that belief. Jesus TOLD the servants to pour water from the jars into a cup and to take it to the master of the banquet. Jesus TOLD His disciples to divide and distribute bread. Jesus TOLD the ten lepers to go to a priest so that they could be declared clean of leprosy. Jesus TOLD Peter to cast his net on the other side of the boat.

You will notice that Jesus put a very great emphasis on WORDS. One reason is that words TEACH your heart to believe. We know this because faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the Word of God. The church has put a great deal of emphasis on teaching our minds what to think by reading God's Word, but little emphasis on TEACHING our hearts what to believe by SPEAKING God's Word.

Once we begin TRAINING our hearts what to believe by SPEAKING God's Word, we will begin to operate in faith like Jesus did. Faith, the way Jesus taught it, is not believing something WILL happen but believing that something HAS HAPPENED. We know this because He said "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you HAVE received it and you will have it." The church has confused hope with faith.

The Father is more faithful to keep His Word than we know. He is an eternal being. So there is no past, present, of future with Him. If you asked Him what His name was a hundred years ago, He would say "I AM". If you ask Him today what His Name is, He will say "I AM", and if you ask Him a million years from now, He will say "I AM" So we need to leave the idea of TIME out of our prayers. When you ask Him for something that you KNOW is His Will, IT'S YOURS. We have made the mistake of believing that if we do not SEE the answer, we do not HAVE IT. That is lending more authority to what our eyes say than to what God's Word says. And God has HONORED His Word even above His Name. So If God Honors His Word THAT MUCH, SO SHOULD WE by believing it. If He says its ours in His Word, its ours, period. The Word of God says Healing is ours. We have been given it IN THE PAST. "By His Stripes you WERE healed." So if it has already been given to us, and we train our hearts to believe that by speaking His Word into our hearts, then that eliminates all doubt, because you can only doubt the occurrence of things IN THE FUTURE, not the past.

This is the key to mountain moving faith, because this definition of faith eliminates ALL DOUBT. It is what Jesus walked in. And it is what the Father wants us to walk in.

Bobby Conner: Become An Overcomer: This is a Season of Confrontation and Contending

This is a season of confrontation and contending to overcome every pitfall that our foe, the devil, puts in our pathway. With bold, brave determination we must be relentless in our pursuit of God's holy presence!
You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20
Hold back nothing – none of your hidden agendas, selfish ambitions, old grudges, and unforgiveness. Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit brings to your awareness and continue to ask Him for a spirit of repentance. Do not take lightly the urgency of the hour: Put your very best effort into a passionate, unrelenting, moment-by-moment, pursuit of God. Establishing the Kingdom of God in your life must be your top priority.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
A key focus in drawing ever closer to God is seeking to extract out of your life absolutely everything that hinders you from drawing near:
"Therefore, since these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring our consecration to completeness in the [reverential] fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Have You Come Into Agreement With the Enemy?

Pray fervently for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any and all filthiness of your flesh or your spirit. Have you come into agreement with devilish spirits of accusation and rejection? With spirits of bitterness and unforgiveness? Have you given into an unloving spirit? Have you given into a spirit of anger or fear? Do you live with a burden of shame, guilt, or regret concerning the past?
Beloved, recognize these emotions for what they are: works of the enemy to destroy your soul and keep you from your inheritance, the manifest presence of God! Renounce your agreement with these evil works of darkness and repent from your sins, receiving the Lord's mercy and forgiveness by the Blood of His Cross.
Only then will you be free to abide in Christ and enjoy God's magnificent presence.
How do we cast off this filthiness of the flesh and spirit? Spend time worshiping God and confessing His Word over your life. Renew your mind by meditating on the Word of God, especially Scriptures calling us to walk in holiness and the fear of the Lord. Pull down "every thought to the obedience of Christ":
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Fear exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ – pull it down! It is disobedience. Unforgiveness exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ – pull it down! It is disobedience. Accusations, bitterness, rejection – pull them all down! Coming into agreement with the lies of the enemy is no less than rebellion and disobedience.
Take hold of your thoughts and be vigilant. Let no unholy thought take root in your mind or heart. The enemy may make suggestions and whisper lies that may sound like your own inner voice, but know that these are the temptations of Hell. Resist temptation, open your heart to the love of God, and turn your mind back to the Word of God.
Magnificent and transforming results will transpire for us when we cleanse ourselves "from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit" and enter into God's presence. As we, with an open heart, behold Him, we will be transformed more and more into His image.

A Victorious Overcomer

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
As we learn to walk in holiness and the fear of the Lord, the Spirit of God will release light for our pathway and peace and joy for our life. Be certain of this: Only in Christ's presence will we find overwhelming joy, which endures through any circumstance.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. Psalm 36:9
And also be certain of this: Only in Christ's presence can we experience victorious life, instruction, and illumination. No Believer needs to stumble about in darkness. Simply lift your eyes and follow the Lord.
For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28
The revealed Word of God states:
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:5-7).
As we yield to and abide in Christ, His radiant love and light literally beam outward from our life. Let your light shine bright during these days!
Beloved, this is the time to arise and shine. Boldly becoming the victorious overcomer you are destined to be (see Romans 8:37).
Bobby Conner
Eagles View Ministries
Email: manager@bobbyconner.org
Website: BobbyConner.org

Gaps in Creation Understanding

I have no argument with those who hold to a young earth Biblical basis for creation.  It's just that it's not what I get from Scripture.  Yes.. I confess, I support a gap between 1-2 theologically.  Having seen the Ham - Nye debate it's time for me to come out of the closet. 


Here's what the Bible says.. and I believe the Bible:  Genesis 1:1-2 NLT

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

 Let me give you what I see when I read this very familiar passage:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Yes he did.  Fully.  Spoke it all into existence.  Said BE and it Was. 

And it was for a long time... while the stars found their way to their places, while earth became a place of vitality, things happened we have no record of.  Just that HE created it all.  From nothing.  Because he is GOD. Creator of all the heavens and earth.  Time?  Who knows.  I think we can get a clue from the distance of the stars.  From records in the earth.  Very long ago.  God created, recreated, spoke, allowed.  many wonderful things happened and there were forms of life he brought into being.  We find their fossils and bones.  All wonderful.

Then.  Something happened.  Something amazing.  Something without parallel and the earth became as it is recorded in verse two.

What happened?  I have an opinion..but I can't prove it.  I only know that God created it all and then something happened, something metaphysical beyond comprehension.  Some believe it was the fall of satan and his angels from heaven.  I don't know.   All I know for sure that the net result at least on earth was what we see next.

2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

A dark formless void.  A destroyed creation.  A complete nothing.  Water and formless land. 

Then GOD did what we see next.  He began by HIS Spirit to speak out against the darkness and say, LET THERE BE LIGHT..and on to the rest.

Now to one other issue.  How many days did all this new creation out of formlessness take?  

When did TIME as we know it begin?  When did eternity cease and time kick in?

Did Adam age?  Eve wrinkle?   They were to live in the Garden with God forever.  So?  What do you believe?  When did God say to man you will get old and die?  The fall of man, sin caused man living for eternity in the garden to take a quantum leap into time, causing them to realize they were naked and God telling them they would now die. 

There is much more about this, but others have written on it and while I may not buy every word here written, I find this a supportive document:

•      Acceptance of an old Earth does not attack the authority of Scripture. Like many Evangelicals who accept an old Earth, I believe in the inerrancy of Scriptures, and in all of the core theological truths of the Christian faith.
•     Acceptance of an old Earth does not necessarily employ a special hermeneutic that twists the words of the Bible. It would be wrong force scripture to conform to science, but that is not necessarily what old-Earth theologians have done. Back in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Christians were confronted with scientific evidence that the sun was at the center of the solar system. Some dug in their heels, but others looked at the Scriptures more closely to see what they really said and didn’t say on the topic. There was no “special hermeneutic” required, only a more careful application of the hermeneutic tools they already possessed. Conservative Bible scholars of the past two hundred years have been forced to do the same, and many have come to the conclusion that the Bible does not put constraints on the age of the Earth. They have done this not by somehow forcing the Bible to say something it doesn’t say, but by looking closely at the Hebrew text, letting Scripture interpret Scripture, and gaining a better understanding of the world the ancient Hebrews lived in.
•     It may be equally wrong to force science to fit Scripture as it is to force Scripture to fit science. The young-Earth creationists have published an incredible amount of bad science over the years, and held this forth to the church and world as an unanswerable apologetic argument.
•     Acceptance of an old Earth is not the same as subjecting the Scriptures to naturalistic presuppositions. It involves acceptance of the idea that “all truth is God’s truth.” Let the rocks speak for themselves and let the Bible speak for itself (but make sure we read them both correctly).

BUT in all this we must not rely on other's teaching, but dig deep for ourselves.  What does the Bible say is a good place to start.

Unless a seed dies.. Death and new Birth

The book of Ecclesiastics  has a passage in it.   Chapter 3 Verse 2

"A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest".

It talks in the context about phases.  Timing.  Everything has it's time.

Jesus talked about the necessity of death for birth to come.

 "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives". John 12:24

I know the context, but the meaning is true beyond what Jesus was talking about, His death and Resurrection.

Pastor Phil Ressler once said something that stunned me. It was immediately true, but it had significance beyond my thinking.   He said that the Church he was serving wouldn't always be there, that he wouldn't always be the Pastor, that the USA wouldn't always be a nation.  That kingdoms and nations rise and fall.  And so do institutions.  He was preaching on the impermanence of our temporal existence.

Contrast that to our belief in the past.  A nostalgia trap that all of us fall into.  I fall into it all the time. Good old days. Back in the day.  Remember when.  It's not unusual as we get older.  We live in the past.  It's not bad, and there is a reason, we can measure where we are in comparison to where we came from.  Age (of which I am becoming very acquainted) has a way of amplifying the past.  Yet even age demonstrates a passing of years that eventually leads to death.  So far almost 100% of us will die. 

Where this becomes problematic is when we begin to worship the past. Long for the past.  Mourn for the past.  You can't go back, you can only prepare for the days to come.  Unfortunately for many people the days to come will be hard because of the past... there will be change and all change is felt as a loss, even if there is gain.

There are things, institutions, situations, that are going to die.  They will be mourned.  Father will say, "forget what lies behind, press on toward the high calling to which I have called you".

Moves of God, Denominations, Churches, New Ideas, Revivals, Outpourings have charms and wonder that causes those so involved to long for those good days.  If I rehearsed them here many of you might say, "YES" I remember those days.  I have old quartet records. I have the full Maranatha Scripture Songs set.  I was part of the tail end of the Jesus Movement.  I remember the PTL early days.  I Loved the outpouring of Laughter that came. Toronto, Pensacola and Lakeland were wonderful.  I remember the moving communion services we used to have.  Lots of memories... but they are ghosts of the past.  My past.  Maybe some of yours. Living there is meaningless.

The prime duty of the People of God is to figure out what God is doing and cooperate with him.  I have his word on this.  Behold (He said) I do a new thing.

I have been excited to be part of the New Apostolic Reformation.  Apostles Prophets and full five fold.  Deliverance.  The Prophetic. It's wonderful... but that will someday be past.... history.

Father's intention is to not allow this generation to be lost.  And right now it is being lost.  MOST young people and in particular most politically liberal young people NEVER EVER darken a church door and won't.  I don't care what you do or don't do.  They are not coming.  If they are liberal in their social and political viewpoints and if they are between the ages of 18-34 they are never going to be reached for the Kingdom using what was.  

 

The church as you knew it is old, dying and about to fall off the edge of the earth.  The people we thought might be the next generation aren't there.  Think of that, we have a whole generation of people half of which consider themselves politically liberal and socially tolerant (think same sex marriage and pro abortion).  They voted for the Current President with great enthusiasm.

The fact is they are spiritually adrift and what is more important is, they know it.  They need something.  They toy with atheism, but it doesn't satisfy.  The God shaped hole is still there.  They have tried all the pleasures of man... and are still empty.  

Sin has taken a terrible toll.  They are lost.  They are empty.  They know something is wrong.  Yet, the seed they need must die and be born again.  We have to put to death the useless instruments we used in the past.  They not only no longer work, they are no longer effective even at a minimal level.

Sure you can build a church but the vast majority of your members will simply be uprooted and replanted in your fellowship.   IF were are going to have true awakening.  True revival.  We are going to need to have something new.  I hear Father's heart.  He wants us to forget what lies behind.  He is calling the Church higher.  I know it.  I can hear the drumbeat.

Being born again is not just for the lost, it is also for those who have lost their way in doing what Jesus instructed us to do.  Make disciples.

Here's what must be done.  Begin to question everything we ever did.  There is only one eternal truth and that is the Word of God and He who is... dwelling among us.  Denominations, moves, nations, currencies, people, leaders, books, music will all pass away... but HIS Word will go on .... FOREVER.

I listened while driving home from a meeting last night to a radio station I almost never listen to.  WMBI.  The moody christian radio station in our area.  I won't identify the speakers.  I listened to two of them, until I couldn't any more.  Both men are well known radio preachers.  While what they were preaching was OK (if unmoving) I only heard a death rattle.  Those days are gone forever.  We already are seeing the death of Christian TV.  

What is about to come will be so new, so stirring, such a departure such that people will question if it is of God.  Is it Biblical. That is always the question.  This next new move will be hated by many.  It will signal the death of what they were doing.  What they pinned their hopes on.  I stopped at a huge church building near my home.  It was built as an outreach center to a city near us.  HUGE.  It will seat 2500 on the main floor.  On a main highway.  Parking for 500 cars.  Their average attendance is 120.  They are about to lose the building.  It will either remain vacant or some other church will buy it... and maybe they make it or maybe they don't.  It all depends on getting in line with what God is about to do... and cooperating with him.

It is death.  IF that leader is wise, he will step back, take stock of what he has done and  figure out where God is headed now.  He will not that any are lost.  Will we cooperate with him and become the MOVE or will we curse the light because we love the darkness in which we remain.